Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

निवेदयंति ते यामाः कालराजांतिके ततः । कालराजोपि तान्द्रष्ट्वा कर्मसंस्मार्य दुष्कृतम्

Transliteration

nivedayaṃti te yāmāḥ kālarājāṃtike tataḥ | kālarājopi tāndraṣṭvā karmasaṃsmārya duṣkṛtam

Translation

Then the Yāmas report them in the presence of the Lord of Time, Yama. And the Lord of Time, seeing them, calls to mind their deeds—especially their evil actions.

Word by Word

• निवेदयन्ति: they report/announce
• निवेदयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; causative/denominative sense ‘inform/announce’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; pronoun (subject)

• यामाः: Yāmas (guards/attendants of Yama)
• यामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• कालराज-अन्तिके: in the presence of Kālarāja (Yama)
• कालराज-अन्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गे (अन्तिक-शब्दः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कालराजस्य अन्तिके’; locative singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; temporal adverb

• कालराजः: Kālarāja (Yama)
• कालराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (particle)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्; accusative plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्तम्); absolutive/gerund ‘having seen’

• कर्म-संस्मार्य: having recalled (their) actions
• कर्म-संस्मार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्मार्य (कृदन्त; √स्मृ धातु + सम्)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्म + संस्मार्य ‘deeds-remembering’); क्त्वान्त-समकक्षः ल्यप्/क्त्वा-भावः—अव्ययकृदन्तम् ‘having recalled (their) deeds’

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed, wrongdoing
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (by contrast with Yama’s realm)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yamadūtas (Yāmas) present bound souls before Kālarāja on a dark throne; Yama’s gaze triggers a luminous ‘memory-scroll’ of their deeds, with evil acts highlighted as shadowy vignettes.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Kālarāja)
• Yāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No one escapes moral accountability; actions are reviewed and bear consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter context is Kāśī/Avimukta, where Yama’s authority is ultimately shown to be transcended by Śiva’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the process of reporting and judgment.